


just one minute more

by Evening_Winds



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, but you bet your ass it's actually, leon is a barista; raihan is a university teacher who visits the café he works at; idiocy ensues, leon's just an oblivious himbo and too focused on his own thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29757030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evening_Winds/pseuds/Evening_Winds
Summary: Leon shot Raihan a pointed look, sighed theatrically and finished pouring the coffee. “I don’t think you’ve fully grasped the genius of the loyalty card and the endless possibilities it provides.”- - -aka leon devises a plan to spend more time with the cute regular customer. it doesn’t work quite the way he anticipated.aka coffee shop au? coffee shop au.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 22
Kudos: 60





	just one minute more

**Author's Note:**

> (or: in which leon thinks he’s galaxy braining when he’s actually just being _so dumb_ and making things way more complicated than necessary)
> 
> *stares at the word count* how. just. how. how the heck did that happen
> 
> i don’t even like coffee in any shape or form yet here i am, getting stupid ideas and offering them to the void. the ride never ends.
> 
> as always: unbeta’d + EFL

It takes a certain type of person to enjoy customer service work, let alone thrive in such an environment.

Much to his surprise, Leon had found that he was that type of person.

The Power Spot was a cozy little café not far away from the main street, and Leon had been working there since its opening day two years ago. At first, he had intended to just work as a part-time barista alongside his studies, but after getting his degree he had wound up as a full-timer. It truly was a perfect fit for him: Every day was different, there was always something to do, and things rarely got too monotonous. He possessed a positive, can-do spirit, an outgoing attitude, a detail-oriented nature and a sunny disposition – all the must-have qualities listed in every job listing he had seen and which he had used to disregard as empty buzzwords before realizing they applied to him. He genuinely enjoyed making small talk, getting to know the customers, and impressing regulars by remembering their preferences and usual orders.

One of those regulars, a certain university lecturer, had been on Leon’s mind a lot lately. Or, more accurately, for a while, ever since he had first walked in. Once again, Leon allowed himself to lapse into daydreams of that first meeting while he closed up shop for the day.

That day had been just like any other; maybe the morning sunlight had been a bit brighter, a bit more vivid, a bit more golden than usual, but if it had, Leon hadn’t noticed it. At least not until the bells above the door had chimed and he had lifted his gaze to greet the customer who had come in. And what a sight for sore eyes he had been – tall and lean and immaculately dressed, with strikingly fine features and a confident, almost cocky air about him… And his smile! The gentle curve of his lips, the subtle twinkle in his eye; an expression of genuine delight. It had been so captivating that Leon’s heart had skipped a beat.

Despite momentarily losing his aplomb, Leon had managed to utter some welcoming words and strike some idle conversation. The handsome stranger had eyed the chalkboard menu mounted on the back wall with his head tilted in a telltale sign of confusion and fumbled over his words just a little bit while placing his order. Leon knew how it was; it hadn’t been the first time he had seen it happening. More than anything, he found it endearing whenever first-time customers reacted that way. The sheer number and variety of items on the menu was overwhelming, perhaps even intimidating, to someone unaccustomed to it. And if the teal-eyed charmer’s order had been anything to go by, he was very much unfamiliar with specialty coffees.

Nevertheless, Raihan had come back every now and again – on his third visit, he had casually introduced himself and that’s how Leon had learned his name – and in a few weeks’ time, he had become one of their regulars. Even though his visits to the café were brief, Leon always looked forward to them. He never failed to bring a smile to Leon’s face and make his day brighter. Not only was he extremely pleasing to the eye, he was also so charming and witty and polite, so it was always nice to catch up with him, share silly anecdotes and have a chat about their mutual interests which they had plenty of.

And over the past couple of months Raihan had been frequenting the coffee shop, Leon had learned a lot more about him than he usually found out about customers over such a short amount of time. For instance: Raihan was two years older than him and originally from the city a little ways south from here. He had striven to be a pro athlete when he was younger but found it too unfulfilling, thus deciding to pursue a career in academics instead. He was currently finalizing his doctoral dissertation and had recently began teaching on the side at the faculty of history of the local university. He had two cats called Goomy and Pinch (they were rescues and very cute – Raihan had showed their pictures from his phone – and even had their own Instagram account with fifty thousand followers, which Leon had tracked down and promptly followed). He had once held the world record of the speedrun of an obscure retro game even Leon, a fellow gaming enthusiast, had never heard of. He had a soft spot for anything dragon-themed and had gotten his ears pierced when he was sixteen and needed reading glasses. All these delightful nuggets of information and more had Leon learned, but he hadn’t just been selfishly hoarding them; he had also told Raihan more about himself and his personal life than he usually, or ever, divulged to customers. Sometimes he wondered if doing such a thing was appropriate or even wise, but… He didn’t mind it and Raihan didn’t seem to mind it, either, so it was all good, right?

Raihan came by every weekday on his way to work. Unlike most commuters, he didn’t come right after the café opened but a little while later, when things had calmed down for a bit before lunchtime; he wasn’t teaching any morning classes. How lucky! Leon was of the firm belief that human beings weren’t meant to function at full capacity before ten in the morning, even though the rest of the world seemed to think otherwise. Well, at least caffeine helped with that.

On the topic of caffeine, Raihan’s order was easy to remember: one black filter coffee to go. That’s it. Of course, Leon always asked the usual questions – “Will there be anything else for you this fine morning?” and “May I recommend one of our delicious pastries for you to enjoy with your coffee?” or a variant thereof – as was standard procedure. But Raihan never wanted anything else nor tried any of the baked goods.

It was a bit silly, Leon reflected, that someone would come to, let alone frequent, such a fancy establishment and only order a cup of ordinary filter coffee. But he never said anything of the sort aloud. After all, his number one rule was not to explicitly question the customers’ orders – whether they were incredibly basic like Raihan’s or exceptionally baffling like Klara’s (Using flavored syrups in coffee drinks was pretty popular nowadays, but adding both rhubarb _and_ licorice syrup to a mochaccino? Really, now? It must taste like poison.) or near-alarmingly high in caffeine content like Piers’ (Light roasted black coffee with four shots of espresso was the indie punk-rocker’s go-to, and most times he ordered more than one cup. Once he had even asked if Leon could use energy drink instead of water to brew his coffee. Leon had put on his best customer-service smile and politely refused. He still wasn’t completely sure if the request had been in jest or not).

Besides, Sonia, who was not only the owner of The Power Spot but also Leon’s childhood friend, wanted her quaint little café to be the best in town and thus stocked up with only coffee beans of the highest quality. She believed that good coffee and fresh ingredients were the key to true happiness. That’s why she also wanted to accommodate to every kind of customer and kept regular no-nonsense filter coffee on the menu as well. And even Leon thought that plain cuppa joe from The Power Spot was leagues better quality-wise than the nicest specialty coffees of competing coffee shops – which was saying a lot, since he was the type of person who usually preferred overly sweet drinks which had more milk foam and chocolate sauce than coffee. So he really shouldn’t have had a problem with Raihan’s old-fashioned coffee preferences.

Sonia also believed that Leon had a massive crush on said man with old-fashioned coffee preferences. Ha! Yeah, right! It was his _job_ to be nice to every customer, so of course he smiled at Raihan as well and asked him how he was doing and engaged him in friendly conversation and wanted to learn even more about him and tried make him laugh and frequently got lost in his gorgeous eyes and spent way too many of his waking hours imagining how it would feel to place his hand upon Raihan’s and lean over the counter and steal a kiss - -

Okay. Fine. Fine! Leon hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself at first (and he certainly hadn’t admitted it to Sonia), but it _was_ a crush. And a hopelessly big one at that. It had started as nothing but plain and simple aesthetic attraction – and who could blame him? – but the better he got to know Raihan, the stronger he could feel his infatuation with the man growing. And briefly seeing the object of his affections five times a week – usually less, since he also worked weekends and evenings, like today – wasn’t enough for him. He desperately wanted to spend more time with Raihan.

And there’s the root of his problem and the dead end his reveries always hit. Leon heaved a long sigh as he let his long hair down from the ponytail he always wore at work and locked the back door. Even though every fleeting moment he got to spend with Raihan was wonderful, they were just that: fleeting. Raihan never stayed for long. He had no reason to. He only stopped by at The Power Spot to get his morning cup of coffee, and no matter how meticulously one did it, filling a paper cup with black coffee took no time at all – and yes, at this point Leon _did_ consider himself a master of the art of discreetly slow coffee pouring, thank you very much. Not to mention the fact that in her quest for greatness and customer satisfaction, Sonia had also invested in state-of-the-art equipment. So, even if there wasn’t a pot of freshly brewed coffee prepared, it would be done in a jiffy. Curse you, modern technology.

Despite him being very much a people person, getting _actually_ close with others emotionally had never been one of Leon’s strong suits, let alone navigating the winding paths of love and romance. Not to mention his current situation came with its own unique set of complications. How could he go about spending more time with Raihan without behaving inappropriately or being too pushy, given that the only association they had with each other was a customer relationship? It was quite the puzzler.

So tricky a conundrum it was that Leon kept mulling it over even as he got on the bus home. He was so lost in thought that he almost missed his stop.

\- - -

After being preoccupied with his dilemma for weeks – and actually missing his stop three times in total because of it – Leon came up with a plan. It was roundabout, it was subtle, it was bound to work.

In other words, it was perfect.

And today was the day he would set it in motion. It was Monday, he was on morning shift, and Raihan had just stepped in, punctual as always. They exchanged greetings and some pleasantries, Raihan placed his usual order, and Leon kept the conversation going while he deliberately took his time with pouring the coffee.

Once the paper cup was in Raihan’s hands, Leon went for it. “Would you like to join our new loyalty program?” he asked. Before Raihan had time to politely decline as he was wont to do whenever he was offered something other than black coffee, Leon grabbed one of the cards on display on the counter and went off on his carefully rehearsed spiel. “It just started last weekend. It has been quite popular! I had to start my shift by printing more of these, actually. And it’s real simple! All you need to do is show this card to the cashier whenever you order a coffee, and you get a stamp. Like this.” He demonstrated by stamping one of the empty spaces in the card and showed it to Raihan. “And once you’ve gotten the full ten stamps on your card, you get the next drink for free! Any kind you want!”

Leon made sure to put emphasis on the last four words. His logic was simple: The promise of a free drink would be a gentle nudge to get Raihan to step out of his comfort zone and try something different. And since literally _anything_ took a longer time to prepare than a black coffee, Raihan would have to wait just a little bit longer at the counter and, consequently, Leon would get to spend more time with him. And if Raihan happened to find a new drink he liked – with any luck, it ended up being one of the really convoluted ones with half a dozen different steps – each of his following visits would be longer as well! Leon was almost frightened by his own brilliance.

Raihan had been nodding along to his explanation about the loyalty card. “You seem really excited about this,” he smirked, “so I suppose it’s safe to assume you’re the one who came up with idea.”

“Yup! I even designed the card!” Leon announced proudly. The graphic design classes he had taken a couple of years ago hadn’t been a complete waste. The project, despite its simplicity, had felt… grand, somehow. Perhaps because it had been a labor of love – quite literally.

“Well, I think it’s a great idea,” Raihan said. “It encourages people, especially first-timers, to come back here. And returning customers will also spend more money since they’re gonna get a discount eventually. A harmless little mind trick, so to say.”

“That’s exactly what I told my boss!” Leon exclaimed happily. It truly was a great marketing strategy which would result in more earnings and profit in the long run, and that fact had been the sole point he had underlined when pitching his idea to Sonia – he hadn’t breathed a word about his Raihan-centric ulterior motive. Sonia had been well pleased with both his idea and initiative and given him the green light. He hadn’t considered it a mind trick, though, but he supposed Raihan was right about that, too. Well, business is business. “Great to see we’re on the same wavelength.”

The two exchanged a conspiratorial smile over the counter.

“A paper card like this is kinda cute, actually. Charming,” Raihan continued, giving the card Leon was holding a tap with his index finger as he spoke. “Plenty more personal than mobile apps and the plastic cards issued by supermarket chains and such. And it looks great, too.” He lifted his gaze from the card and gifted Leon with an approving smile. “As expected from you. You’re really amazing.”

“Why, thank you,” Leon said, genuinely pleased by the simple compliment. Raihan had plenty of those in his arsenal, falling from his lips like nothing, but Leon cherished every single one of them nonetheless. Smiling to himself, he fished a pen out of the pocket of his apron and jotted down the current date on the card he had just stamped. “Here you go,” he said, offering the card to Raihan. “It’s valid for one year from today.”

Raihan’s eyes flickered from Leon to the card and back again. He shook his head. “But I come here ten times a year even without one of these things. In fact, I’d accumulate the required ten stamps in just a couple of weeks.” The roguish smirk curving his lips right then was just as enthralling as his soft smiles were. “Haven’t you noticed? Should I start dropping by more often?”

Oh, Leon had definitely noticed. How could he have not? He let out an involuntary snort of amusement. Little did Raihan know that Leon was hyperaware of every second he spent at the counter and was going out of his way to extend the duration of those very visits. Then again… It was just like Raihan had said. He _could_ start coming more often thanks to the loyalty card. Leon was so accustomed to Raihan coming only on weekday mornings that the possibility hadn’t even crossed his mind. How exciting!

Still, he chose to ignore Raihan’s playful questions. Instead he wagged the card at him and urged, “Just take it. The free drink beckons you!”

Raihan looked, for the lack of a better word, a bit skeptical. Then he smiled, shrugged, and took the card from Leon. “I don’t think I really need this, but… Whatever.” He stashed the card in the back pocket of his jeans and grabbed his takeaway cup. “See ya, then.”

“Thank you for coming! Have a pleasant day!”

Leon was all smiles for the rest of the day. The groundwork had been laid. Now all he had to do was wait.

\- - -

And wait he did, patiently, for two weeks. When Raihan got his tenth stamp on Friday morning, Leon made sure to reiterate that he wouldn’t have to pay a penny when he came by on Monday. Despite his teasing a couple weeks prior, Raihan hadn’t changed his visiting habits. In the end, it had been nothing but casual banter, one of Raihan’s usual witticisms. Leon would have been lying if he said that he wasn’t a bit saddened by the fact.

(Would Sonia give him only morning shifts, Monday through Friday, if he were to ask? On the other hand, making such a specific request would be highly suspicious – Sonia was well aware that he wasn’t a morning person despite her best and continued efforts at disciplining him since kindergarten – and if she ever figured out the motive behind it, she would never let him hear the end of it. She meant well, of course, but… Leon decided that it would probably better not to request anything. He got to hear enough teasing from her as is.)

After getting home later that day, Leon realized that his next morning shift wouldn’t be until Wednesday.

_Dang it._

So he waited some more – just not quite as patiently this time around. He would have liked to be working when Raihan used his card to make sure that the most important step in his plan worked. That wasn’t obviously going to happen now. He recalled all too well how Raihan had seemed somewhat hesitant to take the card. It made Leon have doubts about the whole thing. Did his plan have too many random variables after all?

Come Wednesday morning, Leon was reduced to a bundle of nerves. Somehow, he made it through the first hours of his shift without too much trouble, and suddenly Raihan was beaming at him over the counter. Despite everything, it immediately improved Leon’s mood.

“Can I get you anything else?” he asked after Raihan had placed his order. “We have freshly baked blackcurrant scones on sale today! They just melt in your mouth!”

“No, thanks. Just the coffee,” Raihan replied and handed Leon a loyalty card which had already been stamped once.

Leon felt a mixture of elation and intense relief. Raihan was still using the card. He hadn’t called it quits after the first card had filled up, so he hadn’t accepted it just to appease Leon. It was a good sign. With his heart aflutter, Leon stamped the card and handed it back to Raihan. The plan seemed to be working, even without his direct input, and that’s the most important part. Everything was going swimmingly. There had been no reason for him to worry, after all. He’d get his chance yet.

Raihan had ordered his usual, though, so just how well had the plan worked? Only one way to find out. Leon nodded to himself, determined, and picked up the coffee pot and a paper cup. “So,” he began, scarcely able to contain his excitement and curiosity, “what kind of complimentary drink did you get with your ten stamps?” Maybe Raihan hadn’t liked whatever it was that he had gotten. Next time, Leon could perhaps suggest something that was more to his tastes - -

“My usual, of course.”

Raihan’s reply caught Leon so completely off guard that he almost dropped the pot. _What._ “You mean… Just. A cup of plain black filter coffee?” he stammered, incredulous.

“Yeah.”

Leon found himself scowling. What the heck’s going on?! His plan was supposed to be perfect! “It’s literally the cheapest and least complicated item on the menu as far as coffee’s concerned,” he pointed out.

Raihan cocked his head to the side. “So?”

Leon shot him a pointed look, sighed theatrically and finished pouring the coffee. “I don’t think you’ve fully grasped the genius of the loyalty card and the endless possibilities it provides.”

The dry remark elicited a gentle peal of laughter from Raihan, and Leon’s heart somersaulted in his chest. “Maybe so,” Raihan conceded. He folded his arms on the counter, leaned forward and smiled, his eyes going soft. “But I know what I like. That’s why I keep coming back.”

Leon hastily placed the paper cup in front of Raihan and had to avert his eyes lest he started blushing. Calm down! Don’t be stupid! He’s talking about coffee, for crying out loud! It’s really good, high-quality coffee, you know that! “Suit yourself,” he muttered. It came off more cross than he had intended but, well, he _was_ miffed. Why hadn’t his masterplan worked? Where had he gone wrong? In a slightly softer tone, he added, “But it wouldn’t hurt to try something different every once in a while.”

For a moment, Raihan appeared confused, almost disappointed, by Leon’s words. Then, as if there had been no lapse in his composure whatsoever, his usual easy smile was back on his lips. “Fine,” he huffed and straightened back up, tilting his head to indicate the selection of pastries in the display case. “I’ll have the scone, too, if that makes you happy.”

Leon sighed through his nose, let go of his irritation and returned Raihan’s smile. “It does,” he replied truthfully. He carefully selected the biggest-looking scone and put it in a paper bag.

“You’ll foot my astronomical dentist bill, then?” Raihan quipped as he paid for his coffee and scone.

“I’m sure you can take care of your teeth just fine,” Leon laughed. “And I don’t think it’s that bad to treat yourself with something sweet every once in a while.”

Raihan hadn’t taken his eyes off Leon for a second, and the look he gave him right then was almost tender. “I agree.”

\- - -

“I see you’ve collected ten stamps again.”

“I sure have. For the second time, now.” Raihan’s smile was absolutely dazzling. “Impressed? I’m pretty good at this, aren’t I?”

Under any other circumstance, the joke would have made Leon laugh. Not now, though; he had more pressing matters on his mind. He merely gave a small nod of acknowledgement and steeled himself. His time had come. Now’s his chance. This time, his plan would work. This time, he would succeed. This time…! “And what would you like?” he asked Raihan. “It’s free, you know. And we have one of the most varied menus in town.”

“I know.” Raihan’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it widened. “Still, I’ll just have my usual, please.”

You’ve _got_ to be kidding. “Are you absolutely sure?” Leon blurted out, forgetting all about his rule of not questioning his customers’ orders.

“I am.”

No way. This can’t be happening. Why was he so set in his ways? Leon tried to keep his irrational desperation out of his voice when he continued, “Hey, how about you got a latte this time? I could do latte art! I’ve been practicing a lot lately, and I’ve gotten pretty good if I do say so myself!”

Raihan chuckled. “I bet you’re amazing at it, but no thanks. I’d love to see photos, though.”

Leon tried his best not to visibly blush at the flattering remark and tore his eyes away from Raihan’s smiling lips. “Okay, maybe latte art isn’t the best choice for takeaway, anyway.” He drummed his fingers on the counter and hazarded a glance at Raihan. “How about you tried iced coffee?”

“No, thank you.”

“French pressed?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“…Just a dash of cream?”

“I admire your determination, I really do, but I’m perfectly fine with my good old black coffee.”

Leon heaved a sigh. Well, he tried. “Coming right up.” Only slightly pouting, he fixed Raihan a cup of good old black coffee. Then he went to the display case and unceremoniously bagged one of the large chocolate meringue cookies he had noticed Raihan eyeing.

“Ah, I was thinking about getting that,” Raihan said, sounding impressed. “You’ve a keen eye, don’t you?”

“It comes in handy in this line of work,” Leon replied with feigned nonchalance. Raihan didn’t need to know that Leon paid more attention to him than to any other customer. He shouldn’t be too forward in a professional setting. Maybe he’d muster up the courage to make a move once they had spent a bit more time together and gotten to know each other even better…

But was that ever going to happen since his loyalty card plan had gone awry? What other way was there to make Raihan stay longer? There was none – the only reason he came by was to get his daily coffee fix. And now it was clear that Leon’s plan to inspire him to change his order had been a resounding failure. So much for that.

Well, at least Raihan had picked up the habit to get a baked good to go with his coffee every now and again. That’s at least something. But it still wasn’t enough for Leon. Their encounters were over all too soon! Still, he wasn’t going to give up. Maybe his plan will start working eventually. He’d keep at it and figure something out. Eventually. Hopefully.

While Leon had been carefully folding the bag shut and sealing it with a sticker, Raihan had pulled out his credit card. Suddenly in the mood of being reckless and making stupid, spur-of-the-moment decisions, Leon shoved the pastry bag in Raihan’s hands. Before Raihan had time to even open his mouth, Leon announced, “It’s on the house, too.” Then, in a sudden fit of courage, he winked.

…Wait. He did _what_?!

Almost immediately, Leon snapped back to his senses. Every ounce of the boldness that had filled him vanished as quickly as it had appeared. What the heck was wrong with him, blatantly flirting with a customer?! And right after he had decided _not_ to be too forward, no less! Just brilliant. Good job, idiot.

Leon felt like he was going to combust at any second as Raihan held his gaze, bewildered.

There was a long stretch of awkward silence.

“Oh,” Raihan finally breathed out, and the most stunning smile Leon had ever seen bloomed on his lips. “Thanks.”

It was by pure force of habit alone that Leon managed a very jumbled “ _T-Thankyoucomeagain!_ ” – though the complete lack of eye contact during was entirely unprofessional.

Raihan said something Leon scarcely heard and then, thank _goodness_ , saw himself out, leaving Leon alone with his debilitating embarrassment.

That man was going to be the death of him.

…What a beautiful way to go, though.

\- - -

One Saturday afternoon, three weeks after the meringue incident, it was storming.

Leon listened to torrential rain lashing against the windowpanes and the dull wail of the wind. The Power Spot was empty, and he was restless. Slow, quiet days like this were the absolute worst – it was easy to run out of things to do when there were no customers coming in. Just to have something to do and work out his jitters, Leon was reorganizing the syrup bottles and boxes of tea on the shelves. Should he arrange them like the colors of the rainbow or put similar flavors together or go with alphabetical order? Leon chewed the inside of his cheek and bounced his knee. Might as well try them all out. He had too much time on his hands, anyway.

When he heard the bells above the door jingle for the first time in what felt like years, he let out a relieved sigh. A fond smile spread on his lips upon him seeing that the one who had entered was Raihan.

Fortunately, Raihan didn’t appear to have gotten too weirded out by Leon’s idiotic behavior back then. In fact, he had started occasionally popping in after work and on weekends as well. Leon had gotten used to it by now, but the first time Raihan had dropped by in the evening had caught him completely off guard. His shock must have been plain for Raihan had laughed and half-seriously asked why his favorite barista was so dismayed to see a regular customer – wasn’t he allowed to come as he pleased? To which Leon had replied, “I was just surprised, that’s all. You know I’m always happy to see you.” Then his nervousness had kicked in and he had quickly changed the subject.

Weekday mornings had also been a bit different lately. Sometimes Raihan didn’t leave immediately after receiving his coffee but would stay and chat for a while if there was no one in line behind him. And since his usual schedule meant that he came by at a time when business was slower than average, it happened quite often. It was nice.

Now, Raihan’s gaze was sweeping across the premises as he took in the impeccably spotless surfaces and inch-perfect orderliness all around. “Slow day, eh?”

Was it that obvious? Leon grimaced inwardly. “Yeah… You’re the first customer in an hour,” he noted as he began pouring the coffee Raihan had ordered – black and to go, as always. It had taken forty-two stamps for Leon to grudgingly come to accept that Raihan couldn’t be converted to a specialty coffee aficionado and that his plan hadn’t been as flawless as he had thought. The blow had been softened by the fact that Raihan _did_ spend more time at the counter nowadays, for some unknown reason. Despite not understanding what had prompted Raihan to deviate from his usual routine, Leon sure wasn’t complaining. Still, he knew that he had to come up with a new plan sooner rather than later. Alas, he was all out of ideas.

“I… thought there would be more people around today,” Raihan said, his eyes still scanning the empty café.

“Well, it’s the weather, I think. We’re usually packed on weekends, so…” Shrugging, Leon handed the paper cup to Raihan. A clumsy laugh left his lips. “And I suppose you could tell that I was getting a bit bored, huh?”

“You’re a bit restless, yeah,” Raihan replied and paused. “Or restless in a different way than usual, I guess. You okay?”

“I’m… fine,” Leon muttered. He knew he hadn’t sounded too convincing.

Raihan made an absentminded sound, as if he was thinking something through. In the meantime, Leon busied himself with filling the second part of Raihan’s order, idly _clink-clink-clinking_ with the pastry tongs while he cherry-picked the prettiest raspberry and cream cheese danish. “This is a good choice. Danishes are my favorite,” he noted, just to fill the silence. Outside, the rain was showing no sign of letting up. Did Raihan have anything to put the pastry bag in to protect it from the elements? Leon stole a glance at the man and saw him squaring his shoulders.

“Make that two, actually,” Raihan said and leaned his umbrella against the counter. “And put them on a plate.”

“…Huh?”

Raihan seated himself on one of the bar stools by the counter. “Break time!” he announced cheerily after he had settled comfortably.

After a few baffled moments, Leon snapped out of his confusion. He transferred the first pastry onto a plate and began selecting the second-prettiest one to go with it. “But… Weren’t you going somewhere?” he asked in puzzlement. Raihan must have been running errands or something; why else would he be out and about in such foul weather? Perhaps he was on his way to a meeting since he had done his hair and was dressed so nicely. Or… Maybe it wasn’t any old meeting, but… _a date_? Leon’s heart sank. It was just his luck to fall for a person who was already seeing someone. Granted, Raihan always looked flawless, even on his days off and clad in casual clothes, so maybe it didn’t mean anything… Then again - -

Leon gave his head a little shake. Focus! “Won’t you be late?”

Raihan flapped his hand dismissively. “I’ve got time,” he said, took off the lid of his takeaway cup and sipped the coffee.

Leon chuckled at Raihan’s laidback attitude and set the plate on the counter in front of him. “Enough time to eat two danishes?” he asked playfully as he rang up Raihan’s purchase.

“Probably.” A coy smile lit up Raihan’s handsome features and it turned Leon’s legs into jelly. Who had given him the right to be so effortlessly breathtaking? Leon didn’t know if he wanted to thank or smack the person or entity responsible for it. Before he had reached a conclusion on the matter, Raihan continued, “But the second one’s for you. That’s why I told you it’s break time.”

Leon blinked owlishly a few times, the gears in his head grinding ever so slowly.

For… him?

Then, “Oh.”

By the time Leon had parsed the words and gotten his stupid monosyllabic response out of his mouth, the payment terminal had long since beeped and Raihan had paid for his coffee and both pastries. It was too late to decline now. Not that he would have wanted to! After all… It was kind of romantic, wasn’t it? Leon could feel his cheeks heating up. It was almost like a da- -

No, cut that out! Don’t read too much into it! He just noticed your restlessness and is being considerate, that’s all! And stop thinking about dates already, for goodness’ sake!

“Thank you,” Leon mumbled, grabbed the single stool on his side of the counter and sat across from Raihan. He folded his hands in his lap and cast his eyes down, struggling to regain even a shred of his composure in the silence that ensued.

When Raihan finally spoke up, his voice was quiet and gentle. “Sorry. Am I overstepping?”

Leon snapped his gaze up and met Raihan’s eyes, surprised to find them brimming with concern. “No, no! Not at all,” he quickly assured, wiped his sweaty palms on his apron and took a bit of one of the danishes to prove that he wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Raihan was right – it was probably for the best to take a break now and not wear himself out with near-irrelevant busywork. After taking a few moments to pull himself together, he looked Raihan in the eyes again and smiled at him. “Thank you. I really mean it. This is very sweet of you.”

Raihan returned the smile, relieved, and visibly relaxed. “So…” He faltered and rubbed the back of his neck. “You wouldn’t mind if we did this again sometime, then?”

“I…” Leon hesitated and fell silent. He would have liked nothing more than to keep doing this with Raihan, preferably every single day for the rest of his life, but… Was it even appropriate? He was on the clock, after all.

However, the greedy side of him was quick to present several solid arguments in favor of Raihan’s proposition. First of all, he had done all the cleaning, prepping and restocking he needed to do and then some. In addition, there were no other customers. Thus, there was nothing particularly productive for him to do right now. And it went without saying that chatting with customers who sat at the counter was a part of his job as a customer service representative. He _was_ working. Plus, he could get up and back to work as soon as another customer came in. The pastry had been paid for, too. In conclusion, it would be perfectly fine as long as he didn’t let it interfere with any other tasks he needed to take care of, both now and in the future. And he was too dutiful and meticulous a worker to let that happen.

It’s settled, then. “I’d like that. This is a very nice arrangement,” Leon replied and took a deep breath. “But this mustn’t get in the way of my other responsibilities and customers, as I’m sure you understand.”

Raihan looked puzzled for a moment. Before long, a slow, lopsided smile spread over his face. “I see. Okay,” he agreed, sounding almost amused for some reason. “Why don’t you get yourself something to drink, too? I’ll pay.”

“Absolutely not!” Leon protested. “I never have to pay for my coffee here. Employee’s perks.”

Raihan chuckled. “Have it your way.”

Feeling strangely conflicted, as if some sappy, desperate-for-romance part of him had expected Raihan to insist on paying, Leon got up and fixed himself a cup of coffee as well. Soon enough, the two were immersed in pleasant conversation, and Leon made a mental note to pay for the pastries the next time they did this.

\- - -

From there on, Raihan began drinking his coffee from a ceramic cup and sitting at the counter on evenings and weekends, keeping Leon company between customers. On occasion he did so on weekday mornings as well instead of getting his usual takeaway.

Like today.

Leon glanced at Raihan over the rim of his coffee cup and smiled to himself. Their sporadic coffee breaks (which were definitely _not_ dates oh my _word_ Leon really should stop interpreting Raihan’s behavior in a way that coincided with his own hopes and dreams) had been going on for a couple of weeks now. Suffice to say, Leon was over the moon about this development. Even though the loyalty card scheme had failed in the sense that Raihan’s coffee preferences hadn’t changed one bit, somehow the situation had progressed right in the direction Leon had wanted. Imagine that! In fact, if Raihan had merely started ordering more complex coffee drinks, Leon wouldn’t be spending nearly as much time with him as he was now. Like this, they had more time to talk and get to know each other better, too.

On the other hand, spending more time together also meant that Leon had had more chances to make a fool of himself in front of Raihan. Apparently, he had reached the point of intense infatuation that sometimes his brain completely ceased to function, resulting in him spouting all kinds of embarrassing things in Raihan’s presence. Sometimes maintaining eye contact with Raihan for extended periods of time sent his heart thundering in his chest and made him blush more than should have been humanly possible. Once, when Raihan’s fingers had accidentally brushed his hand when handing the coffee cup, Leon had only scarcely managed to bite back an ungraceful whimper.

And Raihan such a smooth talker, too; for as long as Leon had known him, it had been natural for him to sprinkle in casual compliments and flattery into every conversation. Some people just were like that, infused with intrinsic affability and charisma. No matter how innocuous Raihan’s words and actions were, they always made Leon flustered. And his one-sided crush sure wasn’t making things any easier for him. He barely held himself together sometimes.

And that’s one of the reasons why, despite everything, Leon hadn’t made his next move. He had no idea how to! Weeks upon weeks had flowed by, and he hadn’t even managed something as simple as asking Raihan for his contact information! (No, secretly following his cats on Insta _didn’t_ count.) He had had plenty of opportunities to do so, but each time he had chickened out and clumsily steered the conversation in a different direction. After the very first coffee-and-danish break they had had on that rainy Saturday afternoon, Leon had realized that he didn’t even know whether Raihan was single or not. And _that_ certainly wasn’t something you could just casually ask someone out of the blue.

To think that he had gotten to the bridge that had been his ultimate goal but was too shy and scared to cross it! But getting rejected would be devastating… And then Raihan would probably stop coming to the café altogether. At least like this he got to spend time with Raihan and had the pleasure to consider him his friend.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Raihan’s question made Leon realize that he had been quiet for too long, lost in his own head. He hoped he hadn’t been staring. (Correction: He _absolutely_ had been staring – no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He hoped it hadn’t been too obvious. It had been mostly unintentional, after all.) “I was just thinking…” he began tentatively, “How nice this is. And…” And how suave and charming you always manage to be and how I could spend hours talking with you or just existing in the same space and how I’m falling for you harder and harder with each passing day - - “Well. Um. Yeah. That’s pretty much it.”

“It is nice,” Raihan agreed. He set his empty coffee cup on the counter. “But you know what would make this even nicer?”

Leon had instinctively picked the cup up to put it away. Now, he froze. “Uh…” he said, like the very epitome of intelligence. To his mind, everything was almost perfect just like this. It was lovely and simple and, the occasional awkward moment notwithstanding, made Leon feel at ease. Pushing the one thing he selfishly wanted to change out of his mind, he tried to consider the situation from Raihan’s, a customer’s, point of view. Weighing the empty cup in his hands, he hazarded, “Free refills?”

After a beat of silence, Raihan began laughing so hard that his laughter nearly dissolved into a coughing fit. Leon hadn’t meant it as a joke, but it sure felt good to be regarded a comedic genius, even if inadvertently.

But how come it hadn’t occurred to him sooner? It was the natural next step in the plan! Surely he could get away with offering Raihan a free refill or two every now and then just to spend a little more time with him. He would happily pay for it out of his own pocket, just like he had done with the meringue cookie way back when - -

Just then, Leon’s musings and Raihan’s laughter were interrupted, for the café door opened and two people got in, happily chatting with each other. Leon stood up to greet them, reassuming his customer service-sona in zero seconds flat.

While Leon was busy making small talk, Raihan rose and shrugged his coat on. From the corner of his eye, Leon saw that he looked almost sullen for some reason. His lips were pursed, and he was narrowing his eyes at the newly arrived customers. Leon quickly swung his gaze away lest he was caught staring at Raihan _again_.

Once the newcomers had made their way to the display case and were loudly chattering about which pastries they wanted to try, Raihan turned back toward Leon. “How about we do this again tomorrow, but nicer?” he asked in a low voice.

“On Monday, maybe,” Leon corrected him, not taking his eyes off the new patrons, ready to spring into action as soon as they were ready to order. “I’ve three days off, starting tomorrow.” He allowed himself a glance at Raihan. “I thought I mentioned that?”

Raihan had opened his mouth as if to speak. Then, giving the pair at the display case a sideways glance, he seemingly decided against it and let out a long exhale through his nose instead. “Right. Monday it is,” he agreed with a small smirk and turned to go. “Same time, same place, as always.”

\- - -

Leon looked at the card he had been handed and smiled. It was Raihan’s sixth ten-stamp one.

He glanced up at the gorgeous teal eyes. Seeing Raihan should have made him beside himself with joy, and it did, but now it also made his heart sting. “The usual?”

“The usual,” Raihan confirmed. “And to go, please.”

Leon didn’t let his smile waver. “Of course,” he replied. Why did I even ask, he added silently to himself. With a wistful sigh, he got to work.

Despite trying his best to appear his usual chipper self, Leon couldn’t help being saddened by the recent turn of events. For the past week, Raihan had been ordering nothing but takeaway coffee. It wouldn’t have been that bad, but he had stopped hanging around at the counter as well. Everything had been going so well up until now! And things _were_ going well, objectively speaking, and it made Leon feel bad for feeling bad. The Power Spot had been gaining more traction of late, partially thanks to the loyalty program, and even the pre-lunch hours weren’t as quiet as they once had been. Was that why Raihan had reverted to takeaway? No, that can’t be it. There being other customers had never stopped him from sitting at the counter before. And even if it had, there was no one else around right now; even the customer before Raihan had taken their coffee to go.

So… Had Leon done or said something that would have made it too awkward for Raihan to continue having coffee breaks together or even stay for a brief chat? Probably. Raihan must think he’s a complete idiot. Leon couldn’t count all the times he had caught himself acting stupidly in Raihan’s presence over the past couple of months… Or even longer than that, really; it’s not like his ridiculous behavior had started only after the loyalty program had been established. In fact, he had been acting more or less like a lovestruck fool around Raihan ever since he had first come in through the door, golden sunshine and silvery chime of bells in his wake.

Or perhaps it was because Raihan had caught on to Leon’s infatuation with him… Yeah. That must be it. It probably hadn’t been that hard to put two and two together. Even though he had liked to think otherwise, Leon knew that he hadn’t been exactly subtle about his massive crush. Perhaps he should forget all about it, be content with what he had now. It would be for the best if it was making Raihan uncomfortable. He liked their coffee, so it would be a shame if he stopped frequenting the café just because one of the baristas was - -

“Leon?”

Raihan’s voice jolted Leon out of his thoughts and back to the present. “Ah! Yes?”

“Actually…” Raihan glanced around, as though to check that the two of them were truly alone. There was a curious twinkle in his eyes when he faced Leon again and continued, “This time, I’d like to make a tiny alteration to my order. I’m finally taking my chance and trying something new. A different, more direct approach.”

“Oh!” Leon exclaimed, taken aback. Did this mean that his plan had started working after all? Seriously?! Now, when it didn’t really matter anymore, when he was meaning to abandon all his plans altogether? And what in the world had Raihan meant by ‘a more direct approach to coffee’? Drinking it straight from the pot?! That can’t be hygienic. Leon would make an exception for him, though, if he were to ask.

Whatever. Unimportant. His plan was rolling again! He had been way too hasty. In more ways than one, no less: he had already filled the paper cup to the brim and put the lid on. Darn it. “Sorry,” he said and offered Raihan an apologetic smile. “What would you like? It’s okay, I can make you a new drink…”

“No need. That part of my order’s not gonna change. I was just wondering…” Raihan paused, almost as though for dramatic effect. “Could you customize the cup for me?”

“The cup?” Leon repeated, confused. “Sure, I guess.” He reached into the pocket of his apron and pulled out a marker. This was very unusual, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing some crucial piece of information here. He uncapped the marker and transferred his gaze back to Raihan, who had leaned forward and placed his elbows on the counter. “Um… Do you want me to draw something?” Leon ventured.

Raihan propped his chin in his hand. “Nah. Write.”

“O…kay…?” Leon said, getting more puzzled with every passing second.

“Your number.” The corners of Raihan’s eyes crinkled adorably as he smiled. “If you’re all right with me having it.”

Leon just stared at him, uncomprehending. “My…?”

“I’d like to use it to contact you. And ask you out on a proper date.”

Leon just kept staring, his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

Hold on. What? A date? Had he heard that right? No way. A date? With Raihan? A _proper_ date?!

Leon could feel his face flushing a deep scarlet when it finally clicked.

_OH._

Raihan stifled a chuckle behind his hand.

With his cheeks ablaze and his heart racing, Leon hastened to fulfill Raihan’s request. Once done, he handed the cup to Raihan, hoping with all his heart that his wobbly, feverish handwriting was legible.

Raihan seemed to think so, for he studied the numbers for a moment and then gave a satisfied nod. “Thanks.” He winked. He really _winked_. “I’ll text you in the evening.”

Leon couldn’t get a single word out of his mouth. Somehow, he managed a nod of his own.

The two regarded each other for several long moments, all abashed smiles and burning cheeks, until Raihan cleared his throat and broke the flustered silence that had settled over them. “See ya, then.”

With that, Raihan left. He was halfway through the door when Leon found his voice again. “R-Raihan!”

Raihan halted and turned back toward the counter. “Yeah?”

Leon drew a steadying breath. “I… I’m looking forward to it.”

A wide smile broke out on Raihan’s face. “Me, too.” He stepped outside and gave Leon a little wave through the window. Leon returned it. Raihan grinned at him before turning on his heel and skipping across the street.

Gosh, he’s so cute.

Leon watched him until he disappeared into the crowd. Then, he smacked his cheeks a few times and buried his face in his hands. Soon, he found himself smiling so hard his cheeks hurt.

His plan hadn’t worked, not at all. But luckily for him, Raihan had had a better plan all along.

He could hardly wait for evening.

**Author's Note:**

> raihan, right from the beginning: (hello i’m flirting with you and would like to spend more time with you please notice me)  
> leon, being a dumbass: (i can’t even fathom the possibility that i could be allowed more than five minutes at a time in your presence so i shall be content with the crumbs i’m getting)  
> raihan, not sure whether leon is being timid or dense but finding it adorable either way: (i guess i should be patient)
> 
> let me know what you think i guess. peace ooout


End file.
